


Love is not a choice

by sunkwans



Series: Love is not a choice [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: F/F, Jace is a good friend, M/M, Oblivious Magnus Bane, a lil bit of kissing, clary is a fairchild, clizzy is real okay leave me alone, haha i'm evil, it's cute, lots of love, mostly alec and jace tho, our boys are smarty pants, prince!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-19 08:54:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11310012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunkwans/pseuds/sunkwans
Summary: Alexander Gideon Lightwood is the prince of Idris, and the next rightful heir to the throne. And he's in love with the Downworlder prince, Magnus Bane.But Magnus is betrothed to Princess Isabelle Lightwood, Alec's sister.





	Love is not a choice

**Author's Note:**

> i have always wanted to do something like this! i'm just planning on doing this as a one-shot, but i'll do more chapters if it's wanted :) i've gotten about four hours of sleep, so any mistakes will be blamed on that. sorry not sorry.  
> enjoy :)

Alec looked stealthily at the cat-eyed Prince. In no way was staring going to help lessen Alec's affection for Prince Magnus Bane, but Alec was tired of torturing himself by  _not_ looking at Prince Magnus. Alec had surmounted a good five minutes without looking, and his efforts were noted. 

But he wasn't fooling anyone.

Just about everyone in Idris, and probably all of the Downworld too, knew about Alec's affections for the beautiful Prince. Everyone except the Prince. 

And Alec's little sister. 

Normally, Alec would've told his sweet little sister Isabelle, because she wouldn't have made him feel bad about himself because he was a boy who liked a boy, but at the moment, Alec found himself in a little pickle, in which he couldn't confide in Isabelle. Because she was betrothed to Prince Magnus, soon to be married. 

Princess Isabelle Sophia Lightwood was only seventeen, and in a month on her eighteen birthday, she was to be married to Prince Magnus. She would move to Edom, one of the Downworld cities- the one Magnus practically ruled- and live with Magnus in his castle. 

They would leave Alec. 

"Prince Alexander!" 

Alec adverted his eyes, pretending to be looking at the book he held in front of him, instead of Magnus, who was approaching Alec at a terrifyingly speedy pace. Alec looked up when the sun had been blocked off by Prince Magnus. 

"Hello, Prince Alexander. How are you today?" 

Alec cursed how his heart sped, and his face heated. It wasn't his fault that his body melted because of the sudden appearance of Prince Magnus. But it was his fault that he slipped so easily into his sweet-talking voice. 

"I'm good, Prince Magnus. And you?" 

Magnus smiled. Alec wanted to scream. Magnus couldn't just be the sweetest and funniest person in all of Idris and the Downworld combined, he also had to be the most beautiful. Magnus had golden, caramel skin, almond eyes which where the golden green of a cats, and inky black hair. And, as if that wasn't enough, he always wore gold glitter to highlight his eyes. 

"Good now that I'm talking to you. May I sit?" Magnus gestured to where Alec's feet where resting on the wood bench, and Alec nodded, sitting up and placing his feet on the ground. 

"How is Isabelle?" Alec asked, dog earring his page and closing the book. 

Magnus smiled. "She is good. I think she wanted to talk to you about "urgent matters," but lucky for me, I got to you first." 

Alec stiffened. "What do you mean, urgent matters?" 

Magnus waved away Alec's brotherly concern. "Something about a Nephilim lady. Between you and me, I think Isabelle likes her."

Alec scoffed. Magnus meant Clary. Isabelle had held a crush for the red-headed girl for a long time, and Alec knew, despite what Isabelle thought. "She cannot like Clary. You two are to be married." 

Magnus looked at Alec wistfully for a moment, but turned his cat eyes away so quickly Alec thought he'd imagined it. "Unfortunately. Alexander, do you ever wish that we were in another universe?" 

Alec nodded. A universe where he could be with Magnus. "Yes, sometimes I do. Do you, Prince Magnus, wish to be in another universe?" 

"Yes. There is someone in this universe who is off limits to me, and I wish to change that. Another universe is the only place I see that happening in," Magnus said. 

Alec frowned thoughtfully. "But, Prince Magnus, you could have anyone."

"No, my dear Prince, I cannot."

 

Princess Isabelle knew where she could find her older brother. With Prince Magnus, of course. Alec thought he was sneaky, not telling her of his crush on the Downworld Prince, but Isabelle knew her older brother. He was in love with Prince Magnus, who he should not love. 

And Isabelle loved Clary Fairchild, who she should not love. 

Isabelle had been set to marry Magnus Bane since before she could remember, but Isabelle had also loved Clary since before she could remember. 

Well, not totally. The first time Isabelle had noticed her knees going weak in the presence of the small Clary Fairchild was at the age of eight. Clary had black paint on her forehead from painting a picture of the Nephilim upbringing in class, and Isabelle had tried to help her get it off. Isabelle had been rubbing at the small girls forehead, gently but forcefully, when she realized how the pretty the curve of Clary's lips were, and how clear her emerald eyes really were. Isabelle had been a goner ever since. 

When Isabelle exited the castle- or the Institute, as it was often called- into the gardens, she did not see Prince Magnus. But she did see her brother, and her brother's best friend, Jace Wayland, shooting arrows. A target had been set up in the garden, among the purple and green plants, so Alec and Jace could actually be around nature, and such, while shooting the arrows and playing around. They were there together often, so often, in fact, that Jace had moved into the Institute, his room only two doors away from Alec's. 

"Jace, stop pestering me. Someone will hear you," Alec was saying as Jace shot his arrow. It hit one of the blue rings, and Jace groaned.

"I'm terrible at archery. Why can't we sword fight, Alec? I always beat you at sword fighting."

Alec grinned and nocked an arrow. "Because even you have to lose sometimes. I've heard it's good for digestion." And with that, Alec let his arrow fly free. 

Isabelle had always secretly loved watching Alec shoot, so much so, that her and Magnus had snuck to watch very many times. Magnus wasn't with her now, but Isabelle squatted behind one of the shrubs and watched. 

The arrow flow true, as it most usually did, and stuck right in the bullseye. 

Alec had told Isabelle his reasoning for liking archery some time ago, one night when they'd been up whispering in Alec's room. 

_Alec's hazel eyes shone bright in the light of the fire. "Yes, I do like archery."_

_Isabelle smiled. "Is it because you always beat Jace?"_

_Alec laughed, but sobered up quickly. "It's because sometimes I envision myself as the arrow. I am free for small periods of time, free from responsibility. I only feel free when I am with you, or Jace. Sometimes with Prince Magnus, for he makes me laugh like no other. But then, my freedom is taken again when I hit the target, and I am pulled out to be given the semblance of freedom for a few sweet moments."  
_

_Isabelle frowned. "That sounds sad, big brother. Why do you like it if you're not always free?"_

_Alec touched her black hair softly. "Because, sometimes a memory of freedom is all you can take with you into captivity."_

"Alec, you're my best friend, and I hate to see you upset," Jace said, grabbing Alec's arm. Isabelle snapped to attention quickly. 

Alec sighed sadly, and leaned into Jace for a moment. "I know, Jace. But there is nothing I can do about it. The betrothal has been set up since we were toddlers drooling all over the place. I cannot break up this marriage. Mother is already disappointed that I like men. Something that would probably get a normal person killed, might I add. I shan't make her angrier by ruining this alliance to be happy and follow my heart." 

Jace opened his mouth to answer, but Isabelle leaped up from her hiding spot. She refused to wear a dress, for she was not holding court, and had on back leather pants- much like both Alec's and Jace's. She was still wearing a pair of high heels, though. 

"Alec, you must!" Isabelle yelled, running to her brother. His black hair was sticking to his forehead with sweat, and some pieces were sticking up randomly. His tan skin was flushed from the heat, and his hazel eyes were full of pure and utter  _sadness._

"Isabelle, you must know I  _cannot._ We do not know what it would do to Magnus' people, first off. They could fall into chaos because their promised Queen was not given, or because their Prince loves a man. Which we do not know if his feelings are reciprocated. And, we know exactly what would happen to our people. They would shun me." Alec said the last part quietly, as if afraid that if he said it too loud the people around would hear and do exactly that. 

Isabelle and Alec were too focused on each other to notice Jace slipping away quietly. 

 

 _Where does the next heir to Edom go to relax? Somewhere hot, because Edom is hell._ Jace laughed at his own joke, and then remembered that- during one of his weird days when he wouldn't shut up- Alec had told him that Magnus liked going into the library. He'd said that "Magnus felt most at home there because the books of his people were hidden away in there." 

Alec probably thought Jace hadn't been listening, but what Alec didn't know was that Jace listened to everything that came from his mouth. 

Jace pushed open the door to the Institute's library, and sure enough, Magnus was there. He was sitting on one of the benches across the wall, a book open in his lap. He wasn't reading it, but talking to a girl who was sitting beside him. All Jace could see of her was chestnut brown hair, and pale skin. 

"Prince Magnus," Jace said, bowing. 

Magnus looked up, startled, before rearranging his features into neutrality. "Yes, Lord Jace." 

Jace glanced quickly at the girl, who had stormy gray eyes, and back to Magnus. "We might need to have this conversation in private, Prince Magnus." 

Magnus nodded. He handed the book to the girl and gave her a quick hug. "I'll be back tomorrow, Lady Tessa," he said sweetly. 

Lady Tessa smiled, and hugged him back. "Okay, dear Prince. Tomorrow." 

When Magnus straightened he looked to Jace, a question in his eyes. 

Jace rolled his eyes. "Just come on, Your Highness." 

Magnus followed quietly, his eyes memorizing the path they took to Jace's favorite room. The weapons room. 

Magnus scoffed. "Are you going to stab me, or just show me your knife collection?" 

"Of course not. Only my closest friends see my knife collection," Jace replied. 

"You didn't answer my first question," Magnus said.

"No, I'm not going to stab you. But I do have to talk to you." 

Magnus shrugged. "So we're going to have a civil conversation in front of sharp pointy things that could kill me. How exciting." 

Jace chuckled, before coming to a stop in front of a small door at the back of the weapons room. It was the War Room, but the Institute left it mostly empty because there was no war, at the moment. 

"In here, Prince Magnus," Jace said, holding the door open for Magnus.

When Magnus entered, Jace closed them both into the room, and gestured for Magnus to sit. He did. Jace sat as well, in the chair beside Magnus. 

"So, let's talk," Magnus said, turning to face Jace. 

"I want to talk about Alec."

 

Magnus had his bag close to his body so the guards didn't notice it. 

"State your business and name," the guard said. He had blue eyes and black hair, and his voice was hard, but his blue eyes were softer than Magnus had expected. 

"I'm Prince Magnus Bane, and I am here to speak to Prince Alexander Lightwood," Magnus replied quickly.

The blue eyed guard looked to the other guard- this one with silver hair and even odder silver eyes- and shrugged. "Continue on, Prince Magnus." 

Magnus thanked them, and knocked lightly on Alec's door. It opened quickly. 

Magnus lost his breath at the sight of him. Alec's hair was messy, and his eyes were sleepy. He was not wearing a shirt, and Magnus had to clasp his hands around his bag to keep from touching Alec's bare chest. Alec smiled with half of his mouth, and backed away to let Magnus in. Magnus closed the door softly behind him, and turned to Alec. Alec was just standing there, his arms by his side, his eyes tracking Magnus' movements carefully, and Magnus had never wanted to kiss him more.

"My dear Prince Alexander. I've come to say goodbye." 

Alec's face went slack with surprise, before he rushed forwards and grabbed Magnus' shoulders. Magnus looked up into Alec's clear hazel eyes. 

"Did something happen, Magnus?" Alec asked, his voice barely above a whisper. A shiver ran down Magnus' spine when Alec said his full name. He never really said it, unless it was just the two of them- and still, he rarely did it then- and the way it ran off of Alec's tongue like a secret made heat fill Magnus' heart. 

"No, my Prince. But I cannot marry your sister, so I must leave," Magnus said. 

"Cannot marry Isabelle? Why?" 

Magnus looked down- at Alec's bare chest- and looked up quickly. "Because she is not the one I love. I love you, Alexander. Every single piece of you, I love. So I cannot marry Isabelle when my heart belongs to her brother." 

Alec gasped, before he crushed Magnus into a kiss. Magnus dropped his bag to the floor, and wrapped his arms around Alec's neck, getting on his tiptoes. Alec was breathing for Magnus, giving Magnus back a piece of himself he didn't know he was missing. 

It was anything and everything, and Magnus let every last one of his feelings wrap around the both of them like cool air. 

The kiss was sweet and desperate, and perfect, and Magnus couldn't feel anything but Alec's lips on his, Alec's hands on his hips. Alec, Alec, Alec. And then Alec pulled away, and put his lips to Magnus' ear. 

"We leave together," Alec whispered, his words a vow. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! comment if you want some more :) kudos and comments are welcome <3


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